


Once Upon A Dream || Tumblr Short

by CevvyDemandy



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hetalia Countries Using Human Names, I love him, OC, everything is the same expect Ivan is dating a human, got the idea while reading Historical Hetalia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:41:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28823136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CevvyDemandy/pseuds/CevvyDemandy
Summary: Ivan’s dreams can be soft, they can be warm, they can leave a smile on his face. And sometimes he has nightmares that are a haunting reminder to his past. But tonight he will dream of something beautiful
Relationships: Russia (Hetalia)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	Once Upon A Dream || Tumblr Short

**Author's Note:**

> Ughhh please forever my mistakes if you're actually reading this  
> I reread it but I know I still missed things

Ivan had many dreams that he could and couldn’t remember. Dreams that he wished he could hold on to and say in and never awaken from. He had dreams where his house was full of life and familiar faces. Dreams of people he hasn’t seen in years sitting casually in his sitting room enjoying their time. He even had dreams of people he couldn’t recall the names of but he knew they were important, so much so he would hug them tight and welcome them home. But just like every good dream, there are nightmares waiting to have its turn. And Ivan wasn’t mentally capable of keeping them away long enough. The one he hated the most was of him as a young nation running in the dead of winter through the woods. He never knew what was chasing him, he could never figure it out, he had so many ‘what if’s’ but not enough closure. So when he flinches awake in the bitter cold of his bedroom sweating and panting he forgets that now he isn’t alone. Trying to catch his breath and calm himself down he realizes it’s so cold inside his room he can see his breath, and the body beside him is starting to stir awake. 

When he can feel the shaking in his chest settle he kicks over his feet and leaves the bed. The cold will follow him and leave her alone. He grabs a robe to cover himself despite being able to handle a slight dip in temperature. But this cold is different, it freezes him from the inside, it’s near his heart. His heart? Ivan rams a hand up to his chest to feel if something is missing, again. It’s there, still inside and nested, he was grateful he wouldn’t have to go back into his bedroom to find it. He continues through the large halls of his home till he finds the kitchen. He shouldn’t drink in the late hours but it’s what he knows to make the shivering stop. With a bottle of vodka in one hand and a glass in the other, he goes to his favourite spot. The old brown leather chair has been in the same spot for years upon years. A few have sat in the chair prior to him but it was Ivan that called the chair his favourite. It was comfortable, broken in, and still supported the bad spots in his back. Before Ivan can claim his spot he starts a fire and stands too close for mortal comfort. It’s warm on his hands and his face, for now, it is his small ounce of summer.

Once in the chair, Ivan wastes no time opening his bottle and pour one...two...three glasses and downing them all with ease. His throat burns, a feeling he had been cutting back on for a few months, he misses it, the pain, it was a friendly reminder of things. He closes his eyes and sighs as the warmth inside his body starts to blend with the warmth from the fire. The cold that loomed over him slowly starts to fade away and he’s shoulder relax. For many many years, he’s hated the cold and everything it stood for. He’s hated the general, the famine, the dryness, the destruction, the loneliness, and of course the death. He could count on his fingers and toes how many times he nearly lost his mind to the siren’s call of frostbite, to unhappily awaken to his commands dead beside him instead of him joining them. Ivan was envious and petty and cursed them for living him behind. But deep down he was glad they could finally rest in peace. He wanted their peace. Nights like those were common then as night like these were common now. Less reckless and catastrophic but common none the less as he nursed himself with vodka.

The fire beside him fiercely and it was comforting, it was almost like a gentle lullaby. He had two more glasses before he realized the bottle was gone, not even a drop made it past his lips. Satisfied yet disappointed in how hasty he was, he put his glass and bottle beside his chair and shifted to get even more comfortable in his seat. Once he found the right spot he crossed his hands in front of him and watched the flames. The silence only lasted for a moment as it started to remind him how empty he house actually was. The life that once occupied it was gone and every night was filled with mind-twisting silence. So he began to hum a tone that randomly came into his head, then he started to sing. Not many people knew Ivan could sing, only those that ever stayed in his house knew he would randomly break out into song when he was in a good mood. Which wasn’t a lot despite the constant smile he wore around everyone. The Baltics could really range themselves depending on if they heard him humming or singing while he worked around his house.

As his voice filled the room he was in he slowly began to slip into a comfortable sleep. With a few more notes on his tongue and the melody fading in his ears, Ivan fell asleep unsure if he would have a dream or a nightmare.

Ivan was a child standing in the doorway of his bedroom crying. He didn’t know why he was crying nor could he stop the tears that fell to his feet. As he tried to wipe away the few that lingered on his face but they seem to gather faster than his little hand could manage. A pair of hands wrapped themselves around him and soon Ivan was held up in the air then pressed again someone’s side. He looked up through his tears and saw a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes that looked like his sister’s.

“Why do you cry, my child?” She said. Ivan shook his head and hung it in shame. The woman chuckled and placed a finger under his chin to raise his head. She then began to wipe his tears and they stayed away unlike before. She kisses his head and pulls him in close and walks away from the room. Ivan couldn’t stop himself from snuggling into her and feeling safe. This woman was familiar, from very long ago, this woman he knew of but couldn’t remember her name. He didn’t care, not when he felt warm in her arms, he could think about her name later as long as he got to stay where he was. Soon the woman stopped walking and patted his back lightly. Ivan pulled away from his spot against her and looked up towards her then around. They were in his dining room and his sister sat at the table. The woman sat him down in a chair in front of his sisters then smoothed his hair down. Ivan watched as he vanished through a doorway the turned back towards his sisters who were now older. He knew their country names but something inside him told him not to call them that. Ukraine was Yekaterina and Belarus was Natalya, they weren’t countries as they sat at the table, they were people who lived forever, or so he thought. Yekaterina was telling him something that seemed important by the way her eyebrows knotted. He couldn’t hear her and it worried him that she would think he didn’t care. He cared, he cared so much more than he ever made an effort to show her. When she finished she looked like she was going to cry and rose from her seat. 

She came towards him and hugged him, “I’ll be back, I promise, I won’t be gone for long. I love you, Ivan.” He finally heard her voice and he smiled and hugged her back. A feeling inside him told him this goodbye was a lot different than the one he heard when she left before. This goodbye meant she would be back before he could actually miss her. When they pulled away it wasn’t the face of his eldest sister anymore staring back at him. Instead, it was his youngest sister trying her hardest to hold back her tears. She now looked as old as she did in current times, her dazzling beauty was evident. 

“Why do you have to go? Why can’t you stay home first then go? Why can’t I come with you? I want to come with you.” Always so determined to have her way when it came to her brother, Natalya held onto her brother with a death grip.

“I’ll be back before you know it, Talya, I’ll be home for the holidays.” Ivan managed to get his sister’s grip loose on his jacket and he kissed her knuckles before kissing her forehead. Natalya seemed to let her defences up and slowly back away from Ivan. Then the woman from before -- Kievan Rus, his mother, he finally remembers her -- she came to him now as an old woman with long silver hair braided into a bun and traditional clothes. He now towered over her but it meant nothing when she pulled him down to her level to hold him in a tight hug. She whispered prayers into his ear and told him to have a safe journey. Ivan had no idea where he was going but he knew that he had to go or he’d be late getting there. He kissed his mother’s cheek then pulled away so he could grab his bags and began to walk away towards nothing. As things started to fade into white the brightness from the sky became blinding. He stopped walking and rose a hand to cover his eyes a bit. As he stood there for a moment trying to figure out why it was so bright the world around changed along with his clothes. He finally looked back down and he was standing in a courtyard surrounded by only a few people. 

He knew everyone that occupied the space, he knew them whether he had met them a few times or casually. They seemed to be doing something which confused him as he felt they were all late. Everyone was dressed in a matching uniform that bore the logo of the school they were at. Ivan didn’t remember ever going to school in his life but he felt like this was correct in a way. He even felt as if everyone here were friendly with one along despite events that had happened in all of their lives. 

“Heeeey...Ivaaaaaan...Earth to Ivaaaan. Dude, come on!” Ivan snapped his neck to the side and saw America, Alfred standing there snapping his fingers in his face. Ivan felt the pull to reach out and strangle the other for doing so but he swallowed it and put on a smile. Alfred was his friend after all, right? “Dude I’ve been trying to get you attention for a while. You just stopped walking all of a sudden and looked up. You good?” Ivan wanted to tell America he was fine and that it was nothing but the words never made it out. All he could do was nod and smile, Alfred still seemed concerned but left it alone as he went back to rambling about his weekend. Ivan took a moment to gather himself before following the bubbly American into the school. When he pushed passed the door someone ran into him and stumbled passed him. They gave a quick apology and hurried on their way. Ivan couldn’t even catch a glance of the person as they quickly ran out the door, all he saw was messy braids bouncing as they ran. When he turned around he was now in another building. This building was the grant meeting lobby that he normally stood in before the UN began. He looked around and saw he was actually standing in a half circle amongst people he could possibly consider a friend. Francis was telling Arthur about the new interns that we're finally coming to the meeting with them. Arthur shook his head and said something about not needing help. Ivan knew this conversation, he heard it a year ago while at a meeting, but this time he knew he wasn’t a country, none of them were. They were people, humans that worked for their countries. A weird sense of happiness bubbled in Ivan’s stomach as he felt a weird sense of freedom. 

“So Ivan what do you think of this whole intern business? Silly, isn’t it?” Arthur asked Ivan, who had to remember what was being said. 

“Da,” he finally had control over his voice and it felt refreshing to hear himself. Being silent for so long was secretly starting to worry him.

“See I knew he would agree, we don’t need help during a job we’ve been doing for the past seven years.” Arthur threw his hands up dramatically and rolled his eyes. Seven years? Only seven? Centuries Ivan though in his head, centuries of listening to the world problems and either ignoring them or doing something about them.

“He only agrees with you because he chose to opt out of the program, just like I did.” Yao waved his hand in the air and shook his head. Ivan turned his eyes towards Yao and smiled. Yao was the oldest friend he had, for a while he was the only friend he had until the turn of the age. 

“Even when there is an adorable darling sitting next to you?” Francis threw his hand up to his forehead to fake faint before winking towards Arthur, who shot him a look of disgust and turned away. Just then the sound of a very loud American filled the hall alongside a very concerned voice following behind him. Ivan saw the duo of noise come strolling in but quickly his eyes fixed on the woman that stood beside Alfred. Everyone else seemed to floor too but it was Francis that saw what Ivan saw. 

The French man stepped around the group behind Ivan, “Even if they are the apple of your eye?” Francis' voice started to fade away like the wind blowing past Ivan. Now he was standing outside a cafe with his hands in his pocket caressing a box. He was waiting for someone to come out of the cafe and it made him so anxious. He was so worried about what they would say and how they would react. He had been planning this for months, he talked it over with his mother and his sisters. He even told his friends about it, Alfred was hesitant at first but he soon gave the Russian bear the green light.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Ivan, I had to use the bathroom.” The girl in front of him was Melpomene, Mel for short, his girlfriend. He held up a hand to tell her she was fine, his voice was once again gone. Mel smiled at him and nodded and began to walk away. Ivan felt his nervousness raise and the air in his lungs hitch, he threw out a hand and grabbed her gently to pull her back. As he spun her back around he fell to one need and pulled out the box. But now Mel was dressed in a beautiful white dress crying as Ivan slid the ring onto her finger.

“I do.” They said at the same time and crowns were placed on their heads in Russian tradition. Ivan leaned in to have his kiss from her and it felt just like first time he did it. They quickly started walking down the aisle as all their friends congratulated them and gave them blessings for a bright future. Ivan couldn’t take his eyes off Mel as his heart felt like it was going to fall out of his chest. He held a hand up to his chest just in case, he felt high on life, happier than he ever did. He felt that his life was going on the course it was supposed to go on. Mel turned to him beaming just as much as he was then she leaned in to kiss him again. When they pulled away Ivan saw Mel’s starting to move but he couldn’t hear her. He knotted his brows hoping she would repeat herself and she playfully rolled her eyes.

“We’re having a boy.”

“But I wanted a girl.” Ivan responded playfully and the world around them changed again as they now stood facing each other back in his home in an empty bedroom.

“Ivan.” Mel playful pushed his shoulder but it did nothing considering how tall and strong he was.

“Any child is fine. As long as I can hear their laughter in the halls and their joy through the walls. I will happily bear them all.” Ivan says as he places his hand on Mel’s already giant stomach and kisses her cheek. Mel kisses him back and pats his hand before pulling away and waddling out the room. Ivan smiled as he watched her then turned around to face out the window as he caught the first sign of snow. Normally he would be a bit off by the first snowfall, but now he welcomed it. 

“Ivan? Ivan where are you?” An old woman's voice called out to him from the hallway. Ivan turned around just as he heard the soft footsteps enter the room. He knew the old woman in front of him was Mel even with the wrinkles and silver hair. She looked even more graceful as she did when she was younger. Wiser. Softer. Full of so much life and stories. So many memories that he knew all about because he was there. She was human. Mel made her way towards him and took his hand into hers and rubbed circles.

“Do you think everyone will make it home for the holidays?” Ivan’s voice was older and softer. He didn’t have to see to know the face he had now was that of an old man.

“I’m sure they will, they always do.” Mel smiled and Ivan hummed as he agreed with her. He turned towards the window once more to see that the sun was now setting and the snow was now settled. He smiled and turned back towards Mel and kissed her. But when he felt her lips they felt real, they felt like they were beyond the world he was in. When Ivan pulled away everything started to blur around him except Mel. She only smiled and rose a hand to his cheek. Ivan nestled into her palm and let out a big sigh, he didn't want this to end. He knew this was a dream, a very good dream he didn’t want to wake up from. He had finally lived his life and was an old man with a beautiful wife and a family that was coming home for the holidays. But as he held on to what was left of the dream he started to come back into reality. 

“I love you so much, Любимая моя,” Ivan whispers.

“I love, Ivan. Now wake up.” Mel’s voice echoed around him and Ivan finally stirred from his sleep. Mel was standing beside him holding his face. She was wrapped in a heavy blanket and smiling as sweetly as she always did when greeting him in the morning. The fire had gone out hours ago and the sun peered through the curtains in front of the tall windows. Ivan took hold of Mel's hand feeling how warm and real she felt compared to her dream self. Ivan kissed her palm countless times before he pulled her down and captured her lips.

“I could have stayed up with you.” Mel tells him as they pull away and Ivan makes it too his feet to stretch, a pop coming from his back then a heavy sigh.

“You needed to stay in bed where it was warm. I was fine by myself.” Ivan ensured her then took her hand into his as they walked towards the kitchen to start breakfast.

“But you’re not alone, Ivan, not anymore.” Mel leaned into his arm and Ivan leant down and kissed her head. She was right. But he knew how things would end in the long run. His dream was the most beautiful dream he had ever had and he wished for nothing more than it to become real. He wanted to grow old and die with the ones he loved. He wanted a family and a hall filled with children and people. But he knew what it coasted to be greedy so he swallowed his dream and kept it tucked in his heart. Mel was right here, right now, and Ivan’s heart was content with that. Ivan could feel the spring inching closer the more he embraced what he had. Mother Russia was becoming warm once again.


End file.
